Every leader has blind spots. The difference is whether you design around them.
These are the patterns that reliably degrade my performance if I don't actively counter them.
1. Becoming the Bottleneck
If too many decisions route through me, speed collapses.
It usually means one of three things:
- ownership wasn't explicit,
- standards weren't defined,
- or I'm subconsciously optimizing for control over throughput.
Correction: clarify roles, write the standard, push the decision to the edge.
2. Doing Heroics Instead of Fixing Systems
I'm good at stepping in during chaos.
That strength becomes a liability when it replaces systemic fixes.
Heroics feel productive.
Systems prevent the need for heroics in the first place.
Correction: ask, "What change would make this problem impossible?"
3. Solving the Same Problem More Than Once
Repetition is my red alarm.
If I see the same class of issue twice, that's not noise—that's a design flaw I ignored.
Correction: document the pattern, write the standard, or redesign the interface.
4. Giving Vague Feedback
If feedback is abstract, interpretive, or aesthetic, it's useless.
The moment I'm vague, I'm abdicating responsibility for clarity.
Correction: specify the delta, show an example, define "good," outline next steps.
5. Drifting Into Detail Control
When stakes rise, my instinct is to zoom in—sometimes too far.
Over-focusing on details hides the real failure: unclear outcomes or boundaries.
Correction: restate the goal, the constraints, and the decision authority. Then step back.
6. Mistaking Persistence for Strategy
Pushing harder is not a plan.
When momentum stalls, the problem is usually sequencing, not effort.
Correction: re-run the decision tree: "What is actually blocking flow?"
7. Assuming Shared Context That Doesn't Exist
I move fast.
Sometimes faster than others' context updates.
When people don't have the same map, even good decisions misfire. Bring clarity to everyone. Then you can reach success.
Correction: restate assumptions, revisit the frame, verify alignment before execution.